Fastener for envelopes and the like



March 1 1927.

J. G. SWAB FASTENER FOR ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10. 1925 ATTORNEY or similar article.

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY G. SWAB, OF BALDWIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO TENSION ENVELOPE CO, INC.,

015 BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEVJ YORK.

FASTENER FOR ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed August 10, 1925. Serial No. 49,493.

My invention relates to fasteners adapted to serve for holding the flap of an envelope Heretofore, fasteners of this character have been made by stamping from metal a single piece containing a central eyelet portion having oppositely extending fingers, and this was attached to the envelope by placing the eyelet through the body of the envelope and flattening the eyelet. Sometimes a stiffening member or reinforcement of heavy stock was applied to the body of the envelope around the eyelet to prevent the latter from pulling out. The projecting fingers remained close to the body of the envelope until the latter was put into use, whereupon the fingers were bent outwardly and passed through the aperture in the flap of the envelope, and then the fingers were pressed down to secure the flap in place in such manner that it could be reopened by again bending up the lingers. In order to facilitate the application of the fasteners to the envelope and in order to reduce the cost of manufacture by eliminating the expensive operation of drawing the eyelet from the fiat metal, another form of fastener was devised in which pointed prongs were formed from the cen tral portion of the blank by cutting and bending the metal. While this latter form of fastener served to reduce the cost of manufacture and facilitated the application of the fastener to the envelopes, there was a tendency for the fastener to bend or buckle on a line passing between .the adj acent prongs. An attempt has been made to avoid this by widening the central portion of the fastener .and providing a double set of prongs, thereby increasing the amount of metal used to prevent this buckling oper-' at-ion. This, however, increases the cost of manufacture, owing to the additional metal used. The object of mypresent invention is to secure all of the advantages of the prong construction in fasteners of this character, and at the same time eliminate the tendency to buckle.

In the drawing forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is anedge View ofmy improved fastener attached to an envelope, 7

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure -3,'but showingth-e fastener attached, 7

Figure 3 before it is attached, and I Figure 4 is a'sectional view taken on the line t-l of Figure 3.

The parts are shown on an enlarged scale in the several views.

In the drawing I have shown a piece of metal 1 which is blanked and formed by suitable machinery to form the oppositely extending fingers 2 which project from the central circular portion 3 from which latter the prongs are formed. This central portion of the metal is cut at four places in radial lines, and the metal is forced at right angles to the plane of the blank to provide the pointed prongs 4L. Preferably, these prongs are four in number as described, although the invention is not limited to the employment of this particular number of.

prongs. It will be apparent that as these prongs are formed from the central portion of the blank, the latter is weakened on a line passing between the prongs at opposite sides, where the stock merelyconsists of the annular portion from which the prongs extend. In order to prevent the blank from buckling across this line, I have provided ribs 5 and 6 which maybe formed simultaneously with the blanking operation and they are made by forcing the metal upwardly in the form of an arch, as shown at 5 in the drawing. 'I Vhile' a single rib may be formed entirely around the opening is a face view of the fastener created by the prongs,'I prefer the construcat a fixed line as would occur if the rib ex tended entirely around the central openings.

In Figure 1, I have shown a fastener secured to an envelope body, the prongs 4 being passed through the body of the envelope, and turned over against the inner surface of the body. In preparing the envelope for closing, the fingers 2 will be bent upwardly or away from the body of the envelope in order to be passed through the aperture in the flap. here the device is made according to the preferred form shown in the drawing, the metal will not form a sharp bend at the base of the fingers, but rather a gradual bend will take place at some line adjacent the space between the ends 7 of the opposite ribs. After the lingers have been inserted thrtnigh the flap they are bent back against the outer surface thereof in the usual manner. If the lingers are again bent to release the flap (not shown) and the operation is repeated a number of times, the fastener will permit a greater number of bending operations before the metal cracks, than it the ribs were carried across the base of the fingers. In the operation of bending the fingers back and forth, in the type of fastener havinga central eyelet, the eyelet itself prevents the central portion of the fastener from bnclrling wherms in the form of fastener heretofore proposed and containing prongs in place of the eyelets, there was a tendency for the fastener to buckle on a line passing between the opposite pairs of prongs. In the present case however, the central portionot the fastener is stiffened by the presence of the ribs 5, 6 in order to prevent this buckling operation intheabseneeof the eyelet. By this combination of elements I am able to secure all of the advantages of the prong construction without increasing the amount ofinetal to any appreciable extent and at the same time eliminate the tendency of the 't'astener to buckle.

Having describt-idt n'i'y invention, what I claim is:

A fastener ofthe class described comprising a plate having-a central: portion and fingers projecting theretron'l ten the purpose set fortln said central portion being cut ttlltlfOIlllQtltO provide a plurality of pointed prongs disposed around a central.aperture, said central portion of the fastener having raised ribs torn'ied therein at opposite sides of and in concentric relation with said prongs, said ribs terminating at such points as to leave the said plate flat from the said central opening tmtwardly along said fingers. Signed at the city, county and State of New York, this 17th day of July, 1925;

JAY G. SWAB. 

